This invention concerns the ink fountains acting as an ink reserve and supply to printing presses, sheet-fed, continuous, offset, letterpress or similar, and relates to the mode of construction of their blades, which are segmented by inking zone, characterized by the fact that these blades are composed of a set of independent strips, each of which represents an individual inking zone. A further distinctive feature of these composite blades is the fact that the active part of each strip presents a perfect plane surface and moves geometrically across the full travel of its zone of utilization along an axis perpendicular to that of the fountain roller with which the blades cooperate. Furthermore, by reason of the invention, adjustment of the displacement of each of these independent strips regulating the flow of ink is effected by an adjusting mechanism which is principally characterized by the fact that it is fully independent and can be installed rapidly in place each adjusting screw of the existing fountain, whatever its length, without the need for any mechanical modification to the fountain or the press, such as drilling, thread cutting, milling, etc., or any special knowledge on the part of the installer. These independent adjusting mechanisms are also characterized by the fact that, according to application, they may or may not include a second eccentric disc enabling easier and more precise adjustment of the fountain or cams regulating ink flow as desired over the whole of their inking zone, thereby permitting the use, if desired, and without changing the initial position of the fountain blades, of a disposable fountain liner, designed to cover the fountain roller during use so as to protect it and avoid the necessity for cleaning after use, or to be easily removed from the press for cleaning and re-used several times.
Another purpose of the invention concerns the construction of removable ink fountain blocks which, principally by means of their shape, enable them to fit without adjustment a fountain roller and an inking roller which may be similar or different in length, in order to ensure imperviousness of the fountain, thereby avoiding the difficulty and loss of time involved the precise adjustment of these two components which is vital for the avoidance of leaks when traditional fountain blocks are used. These removable fountain blocks are of particular interest as substitutes for traditional fixed fountain blocks and enable rapid conversion of used fountains, whose rollers have generally undergone machining causing changes to their original length in the process of maintenance over a period of time. These removable ink fountain blocks hold in position the flaps of the disposable fountain liner, which is adapted to the shape of these blocks and their mode of operation to ensure that no ink escapes on to the edges of the fountain blade.
Another purpose of the invention concerns the creation of disposable fountain liners characterized by the fact that their cut shapes, folds and side flaps are disengaged from the angles of the active part of the fountain blades and those of the removable fountain blocks and the surfaces of the fountain rollers in order to avoid ink runs and to enable operation in combination with the removable fountain blocks.
With the same end in view and to facilitate the necessary evacuation of ink residues contained in the fountain before the fountain roller can be removed for cleaning or to remove the liner, this set of features is completed by a scraper spatula possessing two functions, the first being the evacuation of the ink and the second the scraping of the fountain roller to de-ink and clean it. This scraper spatula, a product of the invention, may also be equipped with a supporting mechanism common to that of the liner, enabling it to be positioned and held in place in the same way as the latter. This mode of operation enables considerable simplification of this tedious task, saving cleaning rags and solvents as well as time, in this way increasing the productivity of these printing presses.
Another purpose of the invention concerns the creation of threaded sleeves to be screwed in as replacements for the original adjusting screws of the fountain. These sleeves provide two principal functions, one to support, guide and ease the movement of the adjusting screws replacing the original screws, to endow these assemblies with easy mechanical operation by suppressing the present stiffness caused by the fact that the active part of these screws or their thrust tips is strongly compressed between the fountain blade and the heel of the fountain blade support, the other, which is optional, to provide a variable, pre-set reduction for the movement of these screws, diminishing the effort required to operate them and considerably increasing the precision of adjustment of the flow of the ink film. These threaded sleeves use the same principal of mechanical operation as the independent adjusting mechanisms and are used when, for reasons of economy or lack of space, independent adjusting mechanisms cannot be installed.
All or part of this equipment can be installed directly during manufacture of the printing presses or rapidly fitted to existing printing presses, even by the users themselves.